Memoirs of the Columbian Chemical Society of Philadelphia Volume 1

Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1813 edition. Excerpt: ...on account of its known existence in other acids? and did he believe the base of the earths to be metallic? he founded his belief in their failure to unite with oxygen; knowing that a metal in its highest state of saturation with oxygen, could not readily combine with more oxygen, he rationally concluded that the earths and alkalies had a metallic base so completely saturated with oxygen, as to be incapable of combining further with this elementary substance. "g..Vhat-have the researches of Davy effected with regard to the alkalies? they have only confir. med theiconjectures. of Lavoisier and-have thus proved him to be one of the most illustrious characters the world has ever produced. Now that his anticipations respecting the earths and alkalies have been realized, shall we disdain to attempt the proof of.what he has asserted of the muriatic acid F surely not. The day is yet to come when the supposed existence of oxygen in muriatic acid will be rendered certain. There was no-better reason a few years past to believe the earths to be oxydes, than there is at the present day for supposing mur. acid to contain oxygen. The earths, and alkalies retained the oxygen in their composition so closely that no power was able to separate them until the aid of Galvanism was invoked. stv " I am not certain that the nlkalios have been decomposed; my doubts arise from having heard some ingenious remarks on this subject by W. Hembt-ll. And though the base of muriatic acid may be so intimately blended with oxygen as to resist our past-attempts to overcome their powerful attraction for each" other, we may look forward with confidence to a day not very distant, when like the earths, this acid shall be found to consist of oxygen and a metallic...show more